1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reusable lancet device adapted to be substantially inexpensive to manufacture and easy and safe to use by physically impaired individuals who must take their own blood samples.
2. Description of the Related Art
The field of art relating to disposable and reusable lancet devices is substantially crowded. Further, due to the nature of the devices, seemingly small improvements relating to safety in use and minimizing consumer cost provide significant improvements over prior devices. This is evident by the numerous patents issued for varying types of lancet devices, such as those disclosed in the patents to Sullivan, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,375, Dombrowski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,513, Burns, U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,561, and Levin, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,978. Specifically, the patent to Sullivan, et al. provides for improved spring retraction; The patent to Burns provides for stronger and quicker needle impact; The patent to Dombrowski provides for the ability to prick other parts of a user's body rather than a finger; and the reference to Levin, et al. provides for a removable cap to facilitate interchanging of a needle, an annular flange to facilitate the device being pressed against a finger, and a single trigger which needs to be pressed. There are, however, additional, important factors relating to the safe and effective use of lancet assemblies which have not been addressed by the prior art. Specifically, there is a need for a lancet device which will not unnecessarily roll around in a user's hand or on a table due to its configuration, yet will also be structured such that the cap will always be properly positioned atop the housing, even by impaired individuals who will not be able to pay close attention to detail. Further, known reusable lancet devices employ a relatively large number of individual pieces, thereby making them more expensive to manufacture and minimizing their availability to independent patient users who must test there own blood. Also, known reusable lancet devices employ plunger-type apparatuses wherein after a cap is replaced to contain the lancet, a plunger is pulled to place the lancet tip in a cocked, ready-to-use position. Such plunger-type structuring is unnecessary and may cause difficulties in use, primarily because after the plunger is pulled, it may slide freely within the housing until the lancet is triggered and the plunger is pulled forward during which it can potentially catch on a user's hand or clothing so as to pitch them or resist the firing of the lancet such that it will not have the velocity necessary to properly pierce the skin and retract into the housing.
Accordingly, it would be highly beneficial in the art to provide a reusable lancet device which due to its shape and configuration will not unnecessarily roll around in a user's hand or on a flat surface, yet will provide for a cap which will always be properly positioned when it is placed on the housing. Further, it would be highly beneficial to provide a reusable lancet device which does not include a movable plunger which could restrict the movement of a lancet contained therein, but rather utilizes the positioning of the single use, disposable lancet tip within the lancet device to retract the lancet tip into a cocked, ready-to-use position.
The device of the present invention is designed specifically to meet the needs still evidenced in the use of reusable lancet devices. These devices, which are often utilized by infirmed individuals to do their own routine blood test, require precise adaptation to make them effective yet completely safe for the user. Also, the device of the present invention is adapted with a small number of individual pieces, thereby making the reusable lancet device easier and substantially more cost effective to manufacture and provide for use by patients, without compromising any of the safety needs and in fact increasing the safety of use.